THE VALUE OF EXERCISE IN CASE OF OSTEOPOROSIS: RECOMMENDATIONS
If you’ve been sedentary for an extended period of time, first get approval from your doctor before starting any exercise programme. Your physician is in the best position to suggest the type of activity best for you, its intensity and duration, beginning at an easy level. A vigorous workout for someone else could be hazardous for you; overexercising is dangerous and impractical. Jogging, for instance, would not be suitable if you have a history of heart disease or if you are already osteoporotic, since the activity could severely jar your frame. Check also with your doctor if you are already athletic and want to step up your training programme, since too vigorous activity could unbalance your hormone production, with loss of oestrogen and menstrual periods, triggering loss of bone calcium reserves.
Exercise and movement doesn’t have to be rapid or difficult to be effective – even house cleaning can help by bending and stretching your body to move it. For maintaining healthy bones, choose an activity that calls for pull and stress on the long bones of your body: aerobics, bicycling, skipping and walking.
Exercising should be fun and enjoyable, doing the things that you want to do in your spare time, making it part of your lifestyle and not a special short-lived programme. Exercise should be on a steady daily basis, or at least three or four times a week, not a surge of effort just at weekends.
Do you prefer an outdoor or an indoor activity? And what time of day suits you? Taking into account your own biological clock, the best time to exercise is either early morning or late afternoon, avoiding midday heat or late-night exertions that may keep you awake. Always pay attention to what your body tells you. If you feel uncomfortable, you are probably trying to do too much. Take a break and resume at another time or another day. Try different activities and times before deciding on your fitness routine and making it part of your day. A variety of exercise will keep you interested, not bored, so you stay the course.
Do you want to join an exercise group, exercise with a friend, or exercise alone with TV or video tape? If you exercise alone, and you are elderly, tell someone in case you need assistance. Joining a group can make exercise more fun and stimulating; there are many different organizations offering classes. Ask your local authorities what sports are available at nearby centres:
church or synagogue,
civic centre, recreation centre or senior citizens’ centre,
local college or Further Education authority,
YMCAs and YWCAs,
your firm’s recreation club,
private clubs.
Before joining, attend a class to watch. Is the instructor about your age? Are the people in the class about your age and level of fitness? What are the objectives of the group? What do they think of the programme of exercise? When you do join, don’t compete with others, as each of you is responding to exercise in a different way. Only compete with yourself to bolster your improvements. For aerobics, never dance with bare feet. Avoid injury by wearing correct shoes to cushion the balls of your feet and make sure the floor is carpeted over padding.
*50\114\2*
Random Posts
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.